Blog comments serve as a form of social proof that people bothered to read your article and cared enough about what you wrote to leave feedback on your page.
That feedback helps you know whether your content is resonating with them and also gives you ideas on how to improve your blog.
This means the more you attract good comments to your blog, the more your blog will grow and your relationship with your readers will deepen.
So, how do you encourage your readers to take the time to comment on every post?
In this article, I will show you ways to attract more blog commenters and explain why blog commenting remains relevant to SEO.
What Is Blog Commenting?
Blog commenting occurs when a visitor to your website leaves feedback on a specific blog post in form of a compliment, question, malicious statement, or additional information to help buttress what was covered in the article.
The relevant comments for a specific blog post are usually visible at the bottom of the page and any site visitor is usually allowed to comment provided they are registered to use the commenting system.
When each individual site visitor makes comments, others can also respond to them and start a conversation.
That’s the core aim of blog commenting, it is all about getting people to exchange ideas and opinions about the topic and issues covered in the relevant article.
What Is The Importance Of Blog Commenting?
If you are still in the camp of people that are wondering whether it’s better to just disable comments on their blogs or online store, here are some of the many benefits of blog comments:
- Increase In Social Shares: when the exchange in the WordPress comments section evolves into a high-quality conversion, it can evoke an emotional connection in the commenters which may convince them to reshare the post with their friends.
- Increase In Backlinks: readers that are deeply affected by your content are more likely to leave links that lead back to your site when engaging in relevant conversations on public forums and other blogs.
- A Closer Bond With Your Readers: when your readers post feedback and questions, and you respond, the resulting conversion can help build a lasting relationship with that reader. People consistently revisit places where they feel like they are part of a community.
How To Get People To Comment On Your Blog
I should first point out that people will only leave good comments on blog posts that provide value or entertainment to them and are well-written.
You are not going to trigger a passionate conversation among tens of commenters if your article isn’t compelling.
So, first, finetune your blogging process to ensure you can consistently output quality articles that can grab the attention of readers and inspire them to engage.
Below, are seven ways you can encourage your site visitors to comment on your blog post:
1. Ask An Insightful Question At The End Of Your Blog Post
Always try to include a call to action (CTA) in the form of a question at the end of the conclusion part of your article.
Asking your readers to share their thoughts shows them that you care about what they think and feel that their opinions can help improve the quality of your post.
Make sure you are asking an engaging question. Generic questions like “Do you think I missed anything? Share your opinions in the comments section” are good questions, but people have seen them so many times on the internet that they have become numb to them.
You should instead ask a more direct question that addresses an interesting covered in your article. For example, at the end of this article, I can ask readers this question “Do you think it’s a good idea for a blog owner to respond to most comments?”
The question hits a note with blog owners and may encourage many of them to share their thoughts on the idea.
2. Get Your Readers To Complete A Listicle Post
You need to first write a thought-provoking article that explores a new concept or idea and forces your readers to think.
The article must be interesting and well-paced to keep your readers engaged. Then ask them to come up with ideas that they can add to your list.
This strategy can be very effective for public policy blogs that tend to cover topics that invoke emotional responses from people.
3. Be Controversial
This is a delicate tactic and it can go wrong if it’s not done properly. The idea is to exploit the polarised opinions of people to provoke an emotional response.
It all starts with the title of the blog post. A contentious title will set the tone of the article and might be even what prompted the reader to click the link to the blog post. For example “Why Blog Commenting Only Attracts Spam Comments.”
The issues covered in the article must align with the central message and tone of the title.
Your approach could be to upset people that don’t share your claimed opinion or it could be to create a tearjerker that evokes sadness in your readers, whatever path you take, make sure your readers will feel something.
Be careful with this approach, when done wrong, it can deeply affect your brand image and alienate your readership.
4. Respond To Comments
Many comments are questions, and the readers posting those queries expect a response from the writer. Even complimentary comments and those that attempt to elaborate on your points deserve a response.
When readers see that you took the time to engage with them, a larger conversation can develop and each participant will be encouraged to leave another comment in a future post.
Try to use the name of the commenter when responding, we all love it when strangers politely address us by name. Be humble, and make sure you thank visitors that leave complimentary and insightful feedback.
5. Make It Easy For Them To Leave Comments
The thought of going through a complicated registration process before commenting can discourage many readers.
For most people, including me, unless I really loved the article, a convoluted subscription process is simply not worth the hassle.
Streamline your registration form, and leave only the name, email, and comment form fields. If possible, you can even disable the registration requirement altogether.
6. Comment On Other Blogs
When you leave insightful comments on other blogs, you make people curious about you and attract visibility to your brand.
Of course, this only works if your comment provides so much value that it stands out in the comments section. When this happens, people will definitely seek you out, especially if you provided information showing you are a blogger too.
I will also add that this strategy must be targeted. There is no value in commenting on a arts and crafts blog when your blog is in the SEO niche. Only comment on blog posts about topics that are relevant to issues covered on your blog.
7. Open A New Blog Post With A Top Comment
This is an effective way to reward site visitors that leave insightful comments on your blog. It also encourages others to do the same.
The way it works is that you will open your blog post with a screenshot of the comment and then build the whole article around the point addressed in that comment.
After publishing such a blog post, it’s a good idea to reach out to the commenter to let the individual know that their feedback inspired one of your articles and that they should check it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Blog Commenting Still Work?
If an effective commenting strategy is put in place, comments can help build a community of engaged readers that consistently revisit your blog to read each new post. Comments can also help increase social shares, site traffic, and backlinks.
How Long Should Comments Be?
There is no generally accepted optimal number of words or characters for blog comments. It can be a single phrase or several sentences, what’s important is the value it adds to the discussion at hand.
Wrapping Up
Comments can help make your blog more engaging and encourage visitors to keep coming back to your site.
Provided you faithfully apply the tips I have covered in this article, your readers should start stirring up insightful conversations in your comment section in no time.
One other thing I should add is that despite the enormous benefits of blog comments, there is still the risk of attracting spam and malicious comments.
You must manage comments, and a comment moderator that is charged with removing offensive and harmful comments can help mitigate such risks.
